Switch for electroliers.



T. C. STROUT.

SWITCH FOR ELECTHOLIERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28.1912. RENEWED JAN. 18.1916.

1,172,178. Patented Feb. 15,1910.

' 7 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IIAIIIIII l5] m n-gum T. 0. STROUT.

SWITCH FOR ELECTROLIERS.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNEZE, I912- RENEWED JAN 18,1916. 1 172 178, Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

THEODOREC. STROUT, F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HART &

@HE GEMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, a 00320;

RAIION 'OF CONNECTICUT.

SWITCH FOR ELECTROL'IERS.

Specification of Letters Yatent. Patent d F b 15 1916 "Application filed u'ne 28, 1912, Serial No. 706,485. Renewed January 18, 1916. Serial 110 72373.

T0 allachom itmay concern:

acit'i-zcnjof -the -United States, residing at \Vaterbnry, in thecounty of New Haven 5 and State of Connecticut, have invented a new andfuseful Improvement inSwitches for-Illec-troliers;-and I do hereby declare the following, \'hen tal an in connection with the acc'ompr e gaawings and the characterse reference marked thereon,to be a full, I -:'cle'a d'exact description of the same, and which-said drawings constitute part of this applicatiomand represent, in

-:-F-i gu-re 1 a top'or plan view of a-push button switch constructed in accordance with s tiny invention. Fig.2 a sectional view showing the switch open. Fig. 3 a sectional "iew On the'line ab of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a sec-- tional view -on the line c-d of Fig. 1, show ing t'he -switch turned for one light. Fig. 5

-a s'irnilar view showing the switch turned 7 fortwo" lights. Fig." 6 shows the switch turned for three lights. "Fi g. 7 is a diagram matical view showing theeircuits of the switchin the positions ofFigs. 2 and 3. isa perspective view of the contact disk detached. Fig. 9 is a' perspective view pfj the contact disk operating ratchet 'detached. a This invention relates to an improvement in switches for clectroliers, and particularly to switches of the push-button type, namely such as 'are provided with an oscillating switch blade as distinguished from the continuously rotary blade of the rotary snap switch typel In switches of this type the mechanism is usually actuated by a pair of pushbu-ttous, the one which makes the circuit being commonly called the on and theother which breaks the circuit, the oil button. In eleetroliers itis desirable to provide for turning on one light, then two lights, then three or more lights, or invarious combinations. Switches 'usually employ ed-for this purpose are of the turnbut- ""ton type having a continuously rotating switch plate as above described.

The object of this invention is to ernploya switch of the push-button type, and at the i creasing number of lights;'audthe invention consists in the (:OllfillljllttlOn liel lfinftlfl(l e-i the pawl 12, and hence turnsqthe shaft 14,

scribed anQparticularly rec same' tinie provide for turning on an in- In carrying out my invention, I employ the usual switch housing2 in which a white button-3 and a blaek'bnttoni arevmo-unt-ed in the usual manner to operate a snapSwitch 5, the ends 6 and 7 of the switch plate being adapted to connect with the contacts 8 and 9 respectively connected with the two wires of the main circuit, that is, the contact 9 is in electrical connection with an inlet wire 10, and the contact 8 is in electrical connection with a ,wire 11 to one of the lights of the chandelier indicated by a in Fig. 7. This snap switch 6 is mounted-on a shaft-30. Parallel with, and abovethe shaft 30 is ashaft 14 which carries a ratchet 13 having four teeth, and this shaft 11 is provided with a square section to be engaged by a snap finger 15 by which it is held against reverse :novement. Carried by the white or on button 3 is a stud 3 on which is mounted a spring pawl 12 co-actiug with the ratchet. On the shaft 14 is a-contact disk or commutator 16 having an insulated section 17 and three contact sections 18, 19 I and 20. The binding post 21 which supports the contact 8 is connected by a bus-bar22 with a contact fi'hger 23 which extends 'into contact with. and bears against opposite faces of thecontact disk 16.- On opposite sides of the contact disk 16 are contact fin-' tion 17 of the contact disk. It, now, the

white or on button be pressed inward, the switch plate will be moved to close the circuit between the contacts 8' and 9, and hence close the circuit to the light a, the'position of the parts being as shown in Fig. 4'in .which it is noted that the spring finger 23 bears against the ipsulated section 17 and hence cuts out thecontact disk 16. The inward n'mvement of the white button moves and this gives the ratchet 15 a quarter turn. An inward push of the black or ofi' button will cut out this one light a, and turn the shaft 30 in the opposite direction; but during this operation the shaft 14 is held by the snap finger 15 so that the contact disk 16 will be held against reverse movement and the pawl will fall back into en agement with the next succeeding tooth. hen the next inward push on the white button will not only close the circuit through the fingers 8 and 9, but also close the circuit through the arms 23, 23, 24, 24, thus turning on'the lights a--b. An inward push on the black button will extinguish these two lights, and then an inward push on the white button will bring the parts to the position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings in which the circuit is made not only through the contacts 8 and 9, but through the fingers 23, 23, and 24, 24, and 23, 23, and 25, 25, turning on the lights a, b and 0.

It is understood that the return circuit through the lights is on a common conduc-' tor 28 to a generator 29. It will be understood that the switch is equally adapted for electroliers having more than three lights as a might indicate one light, 1) two additional lights, and c three additional lights, or in any other combination desired; and the number of changes may be increased by changing the number of segments in the contact disk 16. It will thus be seen that I have produced a switch for electroliers of the push-button type in which the number of lights desired may be turned on by manipulating the buttons in the usual way. Furthermore, it will be seen that with the oscillating switch mechanism and the rotary commutator means are provided for driving or actuating the commutator by some part of the switch; that in the operation of the switch mechanism the switch plate does not commence to move until the push buttons have reached approximately the end of their travel, the

switch plate being then thrown with a quick" snap action, while the-commutator moves simultaneously with the push buttons, or

with the on push button, there being a solid and direct driving connection between the two; and it will be further seen that the circuit is controlled by the commutator, or that the commutator makes and breaks the electrical connections with the light circuits before the snap-switch mechanism operates. 4 In other words, the commutatoii acts to control the light circuits while the current is off, thus obviating any possibility of sparking at the commutator and the .con sequent danger of fire.

I claim 1. In a push-button switch, the combination with a snap switch adapted to close a main line circuit and buttonsfor operating the same, of a sectional contact disk arranged to selectively control branches of said main line circuit, and connections between said contact disk and snap switch whereby the contact disk is turned by the operation of the snap switch.

3. In a push-button switch, the combination with. asnapsWitch adapted to close a main line circuit and push buttons for operating the same, a shaft upon which said snap switch turns, asectional contact disk arrangedto selectively control branches of said main line circuit, a ratchet connected 4 with said contact disk, and a pawl operated 3y l:he snap switch for turning said contact 4. The combination with a push button snap switch provided with an oscillating switch plate arranged to control a main line circuit and manually operable means for moving said switch plate in both directions, of a rotary commutator arranged to control branches of the main line circuit and driving connections between said switch and commutator.

5. The combination with a snap-switch mechanism including an oscillating snapswitch, and manually operable means to cause the movement of the switch plate in either direction, of a commutator arranged to control branches of the main line circuit adapted for step-by-step rotation. in one direction, and driving connections between said switch and commutator operative in one direction of movement ..ofsaid switch plate.

6.- The combination with a snap-switch mechanism arranged to control a main line circuit and manually operable means for moving the switch plate in opposite directions, of a rotary commutator arranged to control branches of the main line circuit and driving means between said switch and commutator, operativecnly upon move- .ment of the former in one direction.

line circuit, and manually operable means for moving said mechanism in opposite di- In testimony whereof, I have signed this rections, of a commutafior arranged toconspecification in the presence of two subtrol branches of the main line circuit adaptscribing witnesses.

ed for step-by-step rotation in one direc- THEODORE C. STROUT. tion, and means for moving said commuta- \Vitnesses:

tor from one position to another by said op- CLARA L. WE D,

erating means as switch plate is moved. M P. NICHOLS. 

